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Hillingdon Council celebrates Queen's Jubilee with commemorative wood

Hundreds of youngsters from schools across the borough celebrated the Queen's Diamond Jubilee with Hillingdon Council this week by planting a commemorative wood.

News release:
30 May 2012

Hillingdon Council invited all schools to take part in planting a tree at RAF Uxbridge, which will grow into Hillingdon's Jubilee Wood. The oak, maple and hornbeam trees will surround a Black Poplar, Britain's rarest native tree and one of the Queen's favourite. Each of London's 32 boroughs was presented with a Black Poplar tree, which was donated on behalf of the Queen and planted at the site earlier this year.

A tree donated by the RAF was also planted by Group Captain Tim O'Brien to mark the long standing association that the RAF has with the site.

Council Leader, Councillor Ray Puddifoot, said: "This wood will become a lasting legacy for the borough, and form part of its rich heritage. This was a wonderful event, and one which the children thoroughly enjoyed taking part in. A formal dedication ceremony will take place in the near future."

Each child at the planting ceremony received a special Jubilee medal and beside each tree is a plaque bearing the name of the school that planted it.

RAF Uxbridge is a large site close to Uxbridge town centre and the site owners, Defence Estates and VSM Estates, plan to redevelop it. The wood will form part of a 45 acre, public open space for all residents to visit and enjoy.

Adam Norton, residential land director at St. Modwen representing VSM Estates said: "Having worked with Hillingdon Council and the local community on the development plans for the former RAF Uxbridge site, it was great to see representatives from all the local schools participating in its future with the planting of a wood on the site to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee."